


Over Roasted

by WrittenTrash



Series: (Eugerian) Love You A Latte [1]
Category: Rapunzel's Tangled Adventure (Cartoon)
Genre: Andrew is in here too, Cass/raps is also only a minor mention, College Coffee Shop AU, F/F, M/M, No beta reader, Not too much going on, Teen rating only for a swear, aged up Varian, but more of a set up, but only for a minute, might make it a series of one shots, short little drabble
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-05
Updated: 2020-06-05
Packaged: 2021-03-04 06:33:50
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,677
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24549196
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/WrittenTrash/pseuds/WrittenTrash
Summary: Burned out college student, Varian, meets a devilishly handsome, swashbuckling barista.
Relationships: Cassandra/Rapunzel (Disney: Tangled), Eugene Fitzherbert | Flynn Rider/Varian
Series: (Eugerian) Love You A Latte [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1774276
Comments: 5
Kudos: 37





	Over Roasted

**Author's Note:**

> You'll have to excuse any mistakes, I wrote all of this on my phone. And over a period of like a week, but always at 11pm. I am tired. And expect more of this ship, I have more wips in my google docs.

“Don't you ever sleep?”

“Huh?” Varian looked up from his laptop at the sudden voice. He had been typing away at his thesis, trying to finish what had taken four years to complete. Too engrossed to even notice the passage of time.

Varian looked to the barista at the counter staring at him. “I know this place is twenty-four hours - and let's be honest - who could leave with this mug behind the counter?” The barista motioned to his own face. “But, kid I think you have a serious caffeine problem.”

Varian rolled his eyes, “Oh please, this is only my third.” Varian motioned to the empty coffee cup.

“Haha-- yeah -- no. Try tenth,” the barista corrected. “And that's just what I've seen you drink since my shift started.”

Varian rolled his eyes, but chose not to continue arguing. He turned back to his laptop and continued typing away. It's not like he'd been there long, it was only…. “It’s four AM?!”

“Yeah, buddy. That's how time works,” the barista said, wiping down the counter. 

“How does he know what I'm thinking?”

“Oh my g- kid, you're talking out loud! Seriously go to bed,” the barista all but yelled.

Varian wanted to argue, but he did see how  _ maybe  _ he had been awake a little too long. He breathed a sigh and saved his work before closing his laptop. The brisk walk back to his apartment might be just the thing to help ease his mind. He mumbled  _ ‘Have a good night’ _ as he went out the door.

  
  


…

  
  


So, maybe Varian had kind of forgotten his  _ other  _ paper. The real fault lies with whoever decided that for college to count as ‘full time’ a student needs to take more than four classes. Varian scrubbed at his forehead as he tried to focus himself. Suddenly, inspiration struck and he began to type out a  _ second  _ thesis. Before Varian could get too far, there was an explosion of sound that shook his entire room.

Varian watched as everything on his desk vibrated its way to the floor. The music was so loud he could feel the bass in his teeth. Varian jumped up from his seat and swung open his bedroom door. “What are you doing?!” Varian shouted in an attempt to be heard over the music.

Varian’s complaint went unheard as his roommate, Andrew, continued to play his electric ukulele. Andrew’s friends also continued to play their own deafening instruments. Varian covered his ringing ears, looking around desperately for a way to silence the racket. His gaze landed on the amp. Perfect!

Varain yanked out the electrical cord and the instruments dulled. “Hey!” Andrew called out. The boy dropped the cord he had just unplugged and turned on his roommate with fury.

“What the fuck! I’m trying to write a paper!”

“And  _ we’re  _ trying to jam,” Andrew shot back. His friends murmured in agreement. Andrew’s glare turned into a smirk. “You’re just mad you’re not in our garage band. If you want to join it’s not too late, Var,” Andrew said.

“No!” Varian hissed. “I want to  _ not  _ be kicked out of this apartment!”

“Relax, man, you stress too much,” Juniper said.

“If you want, I might have some essential oils for that,” Kai suggested.

“I don’t need any essential oils,” Varian snapped. “Just,” Varain sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose, “can you guys practice anywhere else?”

“Sorry, Var, that’s a no can do,” Andrew said, pushing his way past Varian and plugging the amp back in. “One, two,” Andrew counted. The music exploded once more, shaking the room and everything in it. 

Giving up, Varain went back to his bedroom to grab his laptop and backpack. He stomped through the living and threw open the apartment door. “By the way, you need a  _ garage  _ to be a  _ garage band! _ ” Varain shouted futility before slamming the door.

Varian huffed and made his way out of the apartment building. He noticed the neighbor above his own apartment out on her balcony, glaring at him. “Hey… Mrs. Crowley,” Varian waved weakly.

The woman muttered something angrily while she went back inside. Varian could only assume to call the cops. Good time to leave then. Varian continued to shuffle on in an attempt to find a quiet place to work. 

In his aimless search, Varian wound up at the 24-hour coffee house he had been at just the previous night. He pushed his way into the coffee shop and searched for a table to set up his laptop. There looked to be plenty of seats and for that Varian was relieved. He picked a booth that he'd be able to get some work done in, set his laptop up, and went to the counter to order a coffee.

“Hi, what can I getcha?” a brightful and cheerful woman greeted. 

“Can I get a triple red eye?” Varian asked, fishing into his pocket for his wallet.

“You got it! Can I have a name for that drink?”

“Uh- Varian,”

The barista repeated it back to him as she scribbled an approximate version of his name onto the cup. “That’ll be four fifty,” She said looking back up. Varian pulled out his card and paid for his drink before going back to his seat. The cafe was relatively empty so the drink didn’t take long to make. The barista called out his name and Varian collected his drink and went back to work.

It felt like it had only been a few minutes, before Varain heard a familiar voice. “Blondie! How’s it going?”

“Eugene,” the cheery barista greeted. “It’s good, but it’s been soooo slow,” she whined. “I even had time to make some fresh blueberry scones. Wanna try one?”

“Blondie, if you have to ask me that, you don’t know me at all.” The cheerful barista laughed before she shuffled around. There was the sound of paper crinkling and then an overwhelming sweet scent. It wafted through the air like a beacon of buttery berry joy. Varian’s mouth watered at the intoxicating smell.

“Mmmhf,” Eugene groaned. “Blondie, sometimes it pains me that we didn’t meet before you and Cass. I would have given you a ring already,” Eugene said.

“Oh, stop, they’re not  _ that  _ good.”

“They are the best scones I’ve ever had,”

Okay, Varian needed to try one of those scones. But he paused at a somber sounding question, “How is Cass doing anyway? I haven't seen her in what feels like not long enough?”

“She's fine. She said she missed it here, but that she'd only be at Vardaros another month. She's so tired from the back and forth travel, all she does is work and sleep. Then does the same thing the next day.”

“Aww, it's okay, Blondie. Our girl is tough.”

“Yeah, she'll be fine. I just wish they'd find a temporary replacement. We were already short staffed as it is.”

Some shuffling and it sounded like their conversation ended.

Varian moved from his seat and walked to the counter to order another coffee and some wonderful baked goods. The cheerful barista was still at the counter, Eugene seemingly having gone to the back to settle in before starting his shift.

“Hey, need a refill on that red eye?” she asked

“Yes, please. And you wouldn’t have any freshly baked scones or something, would you?”

The woman preened, seeing right through Varian’s attempt at subtly. She moved to make the drink while Varian pulled out his card again. He stood awkwardly while the barista waited for the espresso machine to finish it’s drip.

“Um, I’m sorry about your girlfriend,” Varian blurted out. Only after the words left his mouth did he realize how invasive that might have been. He only found out through eavesdropping, after all. Varian mental smacked himself for the faux pas.

The barista instead smiled warmly at him. “Thanks,” she said. “I’m trying not to be too clingy, but I miss her,” she sighed. 

“That’s understandable,” Varian said nodding. He swiped his card as he waited for his food and drink. He felt the urge to say more. “At least she's coming back,” he said for lack of better conversation.

“Yeah,”

“Do you work shifts alone then?” Varian’s face flushed, “Not to be creepy! I’m not trying to suggest anything or make you feel unsafe. I don’t want to stalk you. Not that I thought about stalking you- I’m gay! Not that, that matters, I guess. I’m sorry, please say something so I can shut up,” Varian rambled until he couldn’t fit his foot any further into his mouth.

The barista laughed. When her laughter ended, she smiled again and finished making his coffee. “Not entirely, but we were already short staffed before, so now we're really struggling.”

“Oh, I’m surprised there’s no help wanted posters around,” Varian pointed out. 

The barista paused as she picked up one of the blueberry scones. Suddenly her face lit up, “Are you officially asking?”

“Wha- oh! No, I couldn’t. My college classes are already so-”

“Hey, night owl,”

Varian and the woman looked to see Eugene coming back from the employee’s room, apron now tied around his waist. “You two know each other?” The woman asked, something beginning to gleam in her eyes.

“Well, um not officially-”

“Not really-”

“This will be great!” the woman cheered. “He was just saying he was thinking about joining the crew,” she announced. Curse her.

Eugene raised an eyebrow at Varian and looked between him and the woman. “Really?”

Everything inside Varian told him to say ‘no’. He had precious little free time. It would be impossible to keep up his grades. But as he looked at the older man, something in those smoldering brown eyes made Varian say, “Sure.”

Eugene smiled at him and Varian felt like putty. “Well, then let me grab you an application.” The man said.

“O-okay,” Varian stuttered. The man disappeared and reappeared in an instant. He handed Varian a paper with a wink.

“I'll be seeing you more often then?”

“Absolutely,” Varian said a little breathlessly.


End file.
